Palate
Sourced from the Walla Walla Valley stalwart, Les Collines Vineyard, this cooler climate syrah brings red brambly fruit, touches of dried herbs, and salty cured meat notes conjuring thoughts of prosciutto or country ham. 50% whole cluster fermentation brings solid structure to a tightly wound core of dark cherry, boysenberry, dried herbs, and touches of blueberry. The final words: firm but balanced.
Growing Conditions
Les Collines Vineyard, meaning “the foothills”, is located at the base of the Blue Mountains on gentle slopes near the Oregon state line. The elevation and slope of the vineyard allow for ample cool air drainage and help mitigate spring and fall frost risks while also providing warmer morning low temperatures and lower afternoon high temperatures during the growing season. We consider Les Collines to be one of the preeminent syrah vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley and in the highest echelon of vineyards in the state of Washington. The syrah grown at Les Collines offers the perfect balance of acid, tannins, structure, fruit, and non-fruit components in the finished wine.
Winemaking
The Les Collines syrah is fermented 50% whole cluster with a 5% viognier co-ferment. To start the process we load half of the fruit directly into a fermenter to be foot stomped. After foot stomping the bin is moved into place and the remaining fruit is sorted and destemmed on top of the previously foot tread fruit. Once the fruit processing is complete we allow at least 24 hours for homogenization at which point we pull a juice sample for accurate chemical analysis prior to inoculating the fermenter with the selected yeast. The cooler ambient room temperature in the fermentation space is conducive to lower temperature fermentations with minimized heat spikes and slightly longer maceration times. Fermenters are punched down twice daily to submerge the cap and achieve desired levels of extraction. Once fermentation is complete we gently press the must, allow the gross lees to settle for at least 24 hours, rack to barrel, and inoculate for malolactic fermentation.
